Thursday, August 7, 2014

We are all born into this world with a
history. What I do with my history and my present find ways to address my
experience in it.By examining deeper I
realized that painting as a child and being “skilled” at it gave me praise and
validation. Being relocated at a young age from Puerto Rico to Florida evoked a new sense of self-exploration
and need to find connections. My new language, loved by all, became the
tactility of paint and the possibilities of color that produced an image of
both physical and emotional experiences. There is an importance to sustain the
tactile response to the human body as we move further into the age of new
technologies. Trying to figure out who
we are and what we are about is a distinctly human pursuit for almost everyone,
whether you are trying to find greater consciousness or simply fitting in.Even while living in the digital age I choose
to communicate through portraiture; combining current trends and old traditions
in art.

As I noticed my own participation of self
representation on social media, I looked at the selfie trend and the way people have become engaged in exploiting
their experiences and modify identity. The
“selfie,” is a self-portrait taken via android phone and instantly shared in
social media. Turning to twitter I search for fellow Latinos and followed
conversations around similarly lived experiences felt by Latinos. My concerns, my experiences, likes and
dislikes are also lived by others. I quickly learned that social media was more
than just keeping in touch with friends, it is a platform to give voices and
make connections.Although it may be
accessible to the masses, I wondered of its permanence. In my opinion we need to slow down in order to
be more empathetic to each other.